Hailing from the dark alleys of Cleveland, the notorious cult of Midnight has been wreaking havoc in the metal and punk underground since their inception in 2003. With their highly addictive blend of lust, filth, and sleaze, Midnight’s metal thrashing madness is not heard but felt deep in the bones. Midnight’s latest offering to the dark lord and his minions, Hellish Expectations, is like taking a leisurely stroll through the fiery pits of hell while sipping tea with the devil himself. Like its pre-deceased predecessors, this album is a delightful romp through all things dark and diabolical, with that regular dash (read: titanic splash) of Motörhead’s raw power and Venom’s devilish charm thrown in for good measure.
Led by the one-man force known as Athenar, Midnight has been dropping demos, splits, and EPs like bombs on the battlefield for a long time. And Hellish Expectations that sonic assault and it’s as filthy, belligerent, and obnoxious as ever. Athenar describes the album as ‘a knuckle dragger with a fat cutoff. Pure testosterone meat.’ And from the moment the first riff tears through the speakers, it’s clear that Midnight means business. This is not music for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It’s music to start fights to, to raise hell and defy authority with every pounding beat and snarling lyric. Or, perhaps better, to be heard live in some dingy, low-lit, low-ceilinged club with barrels of beer at hand and many a moshing mate in accompaniment.
What’s truly remarkable about Hellish Expectations is the sheer speed at which it was conceived. Written in a single weekend as a pure reaction to the raw tracks from their previous album, Let There Be Witchery. Dissatisfied with what he heard in the studio, Athenar demanded a new masterpiece beF. born from the ashes. Thus, Hellish Expectations was brought unto the world. From the relentless fury of ‘Expect Total Hell’ to the primal energy of ‘F.O.A.L.,’ each track on the album is a testament to Midnight’s uncompromising vision and unbridled passion for their craft. Hellish Expectations is not just an album. It’s a declaration of war, a rallying cry for the disaffected and the disillusioned… well, perhaps not. But it is a reminder that in a world gone mad, sometimes – always? – the only sane response is to turn up the volume and let the music speak for itself. So raise your horns high and join Midnight on their journey into the abyss.
And the Midnight Violaters can be found here:
Track Listing:
- Expect Total Hell
- Gash Scrape
- Masked and Deadly
- Slave of the Blade
- Dungeon Lust
- Nuclear Savior
- Deliver Us to Devil
- Mercyless Slaughtor
- Doom Death Desire
- F. O.A.L.
